Christian Horner was sacked by Red Bull on Wednesday in one of the most shocking moves in F1 history. Horner was the team principal and chief executive officer for the Red Bull racing team, a position he had held for 20 years since the team’s formation in 2005.
During his tenure, he led the team to eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles, overseeing the careers of Sebastien Vettel and Max Verstappen, who both won four consecutive titles.
Reacting to his sack, Horner took to Instagram to say goodbye to the team; “After an incredible journey of twenty years together, it is with a heavy heart that today I say goodbye to the Team I have absolutely loved.
“Every one of you, the amazing people at the factory, have been the heart and soul of everything that we have achieved. Win and lose, every step of the way, we have stood by each other as one and I will never forget that.”
Red Bull did not give any reason for letting Horner go, as they broke the news to him on Tuesday evening. They also did not state any reason for the decision when they revealed the news to the public on Wednesday.
Speculations indicate that Horner’s departure may have been in the works for over a year now, specifically from last February when he was hit with allegations of sexual harassment by a female worker.
Horner denied the accusations and was cleared after an internal investigation. But the whole incident was controversial and rocked the team for the first half of last season.
There’s also the issue of the team’s recent performance, which has been their worst in years. Verstappen is currently third on the leaderboard, 69 points away from the lead.
The team is also fourth on the constructors’ standings, almost 300 points behind table-leader McLaren. The team has not been up to par this season, and it did not seem like there was going to be a turning point.
For now, it’s unclear to see how Horner’s departure will impact the team, especially as he joins the likes of important figures like Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, who’ve all recently left as well.
Laurent Mekies, from Racing Bulls, will now take over as the team principal and CEO of Red Bull.
